Bush speaks — al Qaeda

July 12, 2007

In looking at Bush’s press conference today, Part 1 looked at the president’s remarks on Iraq, and Part 2 looked at Scooter Libby, so now let’s look at Bush and al Qaeda.

It’s worth noting from the outset that Bush mentioned al Qaeda by name 31 times during today’s hour-long press conference. That’s … what’s the phrase I’m looking for … a lot.

After a couple of dozen references, including a few lies about al Qaeda’s role in Iraq, a reporter asked a reasonable question.

Q: But, sir, on that point, what evidence can you present to the American people that the people who attacked the United States on September the 11th are, in fact, the same people who are responsible for the bombings taking place in Iraq? What evidence can you present? And also, are you saying, sir, that al Qaeda in Iraq is the same organization being run by Osama bin Laden, himself?

Bush: Al Qaeda in Iraq has sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden. And the guys who had perpetuated the attacks on America — obviously, the guys on the airplane are dead, and the commanders, many of those are either dead or in captivity, like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. But the people in Iraq, al Qaeda in Iraq, has sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden. And we need to take al Qaeda in Iraq seriously, just like we need to take al Qaeda anywhere in the world seriously.

Bush has to know how misleading this is. As McClatchy recently reported, “The group known as al Qaida in Iraq didn’t exist before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, didn’t pledge its loyalty to al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden until October 2004 and isn’t controlled by bin Laden or his top aides.”

The question was about “evidence.” The president didn’t have any. Bush wants Americans to believe — in fact, he states it as if it were an obvious truth — that al Qaeda dominates in Iraq and is responsible for the vast majority of U.S. deaths. This is demonstrably false. And yet, the man lies with impunity.

Bush added:

“[B]ecause of the actions we have taken, al Qaeda is weaker today than they would have been.”

Maybe the president was daydreaming during his latest intelligence briefing.

Three top U.S. intelligence officials said Wednesday that a resurgent Al Qaeda had stepped up training and worldwide operations from safe havens in Pakistan, a development they worry could lead to ambitious new attacks. […]

Even without seeing indicators of a specific attack, officials said, they do believe that the overall risk from Al Qaeda is rising. The U.S. attacks on Al Qaeda’s former base in Afghanistan in the fall of 2001 severely disrupted Osama bin Laden’s network. But since then, Al Qaeda has rebuilt its headquarters in Pakistan and is more dangerous than at any time since the Sept. 11 attacks, according to a new classified threat assessment.

Kringen said that Bin Laden is being protected by powerful local tribal leaders along the Afghan-Pakistani border and that the safe haven has enabled his network to regroup and rebuild its ability to strike the United States.

I often wonder how anyone who’s paying attention can take what Bush says seriously.

The trick is in choosing what you compare stuff to.

Bush went: “[B]ecause of the actions we have taken, al Qaeda is weaker today than they would have been.”

It’s always safe to compare a real situation to a hypothetical one. In the sense that no one can say you lied, and no one can prove you wrong.

I do know for a fact that I’m much sexier than the Queen of Sheba would have been if she were alive. If she were still alive.

  • “[B]ecause of the actions we have taken, al Qaeda is weaker today than they would have been.”

    This–as do all of his comments–makes me reiterate a line that I didn’t write (but wish I had): George Orwell is banging on his coffin lid and screaming, “1984 was a cautionary tale, you dolts, not a motivational speech!”

    My skull used to be rather round. Now it’s mostly flat in the front from slamming my head against the wall in rage, frustration, and disbelief.

  • “Look at the bright, shiny penny!”

    Bush lies with impunity to Americans and speaks down to us like we’re a nation of 10-year-olds because — at least in terms of intelligence — we are. When 40-some percent of us ignorantly believe Iraq was involved in the 9/11 attacks (a number that has actually INCREASED since the attacks), obviously, a good number of us cannot answer the affirmative: “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?”

    The so-called, self-ordained freest, bestest country in the world isn’t necessarily the smartest. This is what happens when you let inbred hicks vote: someone in power steals the bright and shiny penny and replaces it with a slug, and the rube walks away bragging about his wealth. This is the problem with democracy: it’s best manifestation relies on an educated populace. Or, in the words of Plato, “A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.”

    As long as we’re a nation of morons, we’ll continue to be lead by them. Isn’t that what representative government is all about?

  • Did anyone think to follow-up with a question like, “Sir, IF we had gone after the top leadership, OBL and Alzawawi, at the time you said, ‘Wanted dead, or alive’, don’t you think we’d be even safer today? Why did you stop the search for the AlQaeda that attacked us”?

    Nah, I guess not…

  • I wish we had a real media that would poll the public and point out how many of us are idiots like Bush is, and then work to correct the stupidity so we don’t get into another war with a country that didn’t attack us.

  • Richard, if the president does it it is not illegal, Nixon actually looks a bit less dangerous as George, if I merely say it it is the only truth that matters, Bush. Nixon was calculating his way through a Constitutional crisis. It seems Mr. Bush is satisfied to merely careen his way through the crises his administration has caused. Where will we be next week? -Kevo

  • “And the guys who had perpetuated the attacks on America…”

    Are we speaking about the perpetrators here Dumbya? There’s another one of those darn big words again. Maybe any time Bush is quoted there should just be a really big [SIC] both before and after the quote. What a friggin’ maroon!

  • The president is now living in a world completely cut off and isolated from reality, an island of delusion amid a sea of undeniable facts. Even the lapdog press know it and are asking the hard questions to which Bush can only regurgitate the same tired pointless drivel.

    He thinks he still speaks for the country. He is wrong.

  • “[B]ecause of the actions we have taken, al Qaeda is weaker today than they would have been.”

    Honest Bush follow-up statement: “Than they would have been if we had given training and equipment to their leaders… whoops! Forgot about Daddy and Afghanistan! Never mind!”

  • JLewd – Amen, man, amen.

    Plus you’ve got to “love” this line from Bush: “Al Qaeda in Iraq has sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden….the people in Iraq, al Qaeda in Iraq, has [sic] sworn allegiance to Osama bin Laden.”

    Swearing allegiance to bin Laden? Puh-leeze! This nonsense is straight out of an adolescent GI Joe fantasy. Why doesn’t the media just replace images of Osama bin Laden with a guy in the Cobra Commander costume? Because that seems to be the juvenile level of the discourse in which we find ourselves mired.

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